Wake Me Up When September Ends
by I The Joker
Summary: Charlie has flashbacks that eventually lead to his entire story, through the way of his sister. Done my way, though The Moth was awesome. No new chapters till I get rewiews.


"Charles. Chaaaaarrrrrlie. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie."

Kelly shook her sleeping brother. He didn't respond, so she shook him more. She shouted louder.

Kelly had come to check on him. She knew something hadn't been quite right with her brother lately. He was separate, more distant. All since joining that band. She shook him as hard as possible. When he didn't even flinch, panic rose in her. She shook him harder, her voice more unstable than before.

"Charles! Charlie! Charlie, wake up! This isn't funny!"

She was next to tears now. "Mum, come here! Charlie's not moving!"

"What, Kelly, what are you talking about?" As Adrienne neared she saw her youngest child furiously shaking her older brother. "Charlie," Adrienne called "get up right now."

When Charlie didn't move, she got worried. Kelly, with tears in her eyes, gave him a futile shake. "Come on big brother."

Suddenly his eyes snapped open. "Boo." He reached out to grab his sister. "AHHHH, CHARLIE!!!" Kelly grabbed a nearby pillow and shoved it at her now grinning brother. "Bastard." She uttered under her breath. He chuckled. "So, what's new, little sis?"

She looked at him. "You're evil. You know that, right?" Charlie simply looked at her and gave a smug grin, grabbing for the remote. He felt something hairy. "Yahaa! What the…" Charlie turned to look at what he had grabbed. A small kitten stared at him with wide blue eyes. Now it was Kelly who laughed.

Adrienne rolled her eyes. "Are you ever going to grow up, Charles?" She walked away, muttering as she did so. The two siblings looked at each other and laughed. "You drive her insane." Kelly smirked at her brother.

"So," Charlie started, changing the subject, "what's with our furry little friend here?

He picked up the small cat and held it against his chest.

"_Her_ name is Lily. A…. friend gave her to me. Mum and Dad said I could keep her."

"And which friend would this be?" Charlie looked expectantly at her.

She mumbled a response.

"Pardon?"

"Matt, okay. Bloody, soddin' Matt!"

"Kelly." He looked to the doorway, then back at her. "Do they know?" He whispered.

"Well, no. I told them I found her on my way home. Please don't tell them."

Charlie stared at her a moment. Then he smiled softly. "You can always trust me."

He opened his eyes. A few tears tracked down his face. He quickly wiped them away. As the warmth of the memory faded, Charlie became sickly aware of his surroundings.

"Are you okay?" He looked up to find a kind looking blonde with a bulging stomach looking at him.

"I'm fine, Claire."

"Memories of home?"

"Ya." He smiled. "My sister, Kelly."

"Oh. Wer- are you close to her?"

Claire mentally slapped herself. She had tried not to slip, but the longer they were on the island , the more the real world seemed to slip away. It was as if her life was separated into two

parts: life before the island and life on the island.

"She's my best friend. She told me everything. I told her all my secrets. Kelly was the reason we started Drive Shaft at all."

"Really?" Claire was intrigued. She had heard the band's song, she had one of their albums. But never had she heard of any Kelly.

"Ya." Charlie sighed. " Kelly convinced me to join with Liam. He wanted to, but I didn't. She told me to let him have his fun... In the end, he is my brother, so I wanted to help him out. Best advice she ever gave me."

Charlie turned out to face the ocean, listening to the waves wash along the shore. He was silent once again, his look on of pure longing. He wanted off the island. Claire stared at him a moment before watching the sun dip below the horizon.

" Claire, do you remember what day it is?" He still looked out over the water.

She glanced back to him. " No, I don't." She answered softly.

Carlie was quite. He didn't move. He was thinking.

" It's the 30th. The 30th of September. Kelly's birthday is tomorrow. I've only missed my little sister's birthday once. Every year, the night before her birthday, right before she went to bed, she'd always say" Charlie. Will you wake me up when September ends?" An d every year at midnight, October the 1st, I'd wake her up, and I'd give her one present. Just one, the smallest, but it always made her happy."

Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He missed it all, everything. Home, his sister, the band, food.

They lapsed into silence again. Each was lost in their own world. The ocean crashed into the beach. Sunset cast colored glows across the sky. Charlie thought of his sister, of the impending birthday. He though of that one birthday he had missed and the story that he knew would unravel if Claire asked.


End file.
